The cloudy skies and wet weather have returned.  Fortunately the warm air hung around long enough to let us have a nice visit to the beach yesterday afternoon.

It was a busy day with a trip to Morehead City to visit Staples and Walmart, but as the day was winding down, we decided to go chasing sunsets.

As we drove down Highway 58, I thought about driving down to the Croatan Trails and taking a picture of the sun setting with Swansboro in the background.  Just before the turn, I decided to gamble on catching the last rays of the sun on the beach.

We headed to the oceanfront listing that I have on Heverly Drive in Emerald Drive.  We happened to run into the owner who was working on the front yard, but we still managed to make it to the beach before the sun disappeared.  Today's picture came from the boardwalk over the dunes behind the home.

The light was really beautiful at the water's edge.  When we headed back across the bridge, the colors on the sounds were just amazing.  It was one of those times that I would give almost anything for a parking spot on the bridge.

Even then I am not sure people would believe the colors are real.  It was a true treat to be in the right place at the right time to see colors that beautiful.

This morning the temperatures were still warm so I took advantage of the bright sun and light breezes to drop my skiff in the water and run the motor for a few minutes. It was a nice time to continue dreaming about warmer days ahead.

 It was also a good thing that I did it in the morning because by the afternoon the clouds had come in and the temperatures were not nearly as pleasant.

While the weather will be a little nasty tonight with a chance of some snow, we will be back to 50F and clear skies by Friday.  That is certainly better than being in the middle of a winter storm being described as a "Snowicane."